Slow Fade
by Grasspaw
Summary: Songfic. "Slow Fade" by Casting Crowns. Peter Pettigrew did not set out to become a Death Eater. But slowly, ever so slowly, he did.


_Be careful little eyes what you see  
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings_

He really hadn't meant to join You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters. But he had been angry, frustrated with his life, and had gone to the place where Death Eaters had just attacked a Muggle family. Under the pretense of helping Ministry officials clean up the mess, he had examined closely the marks the Death Eaters had left on the bodies, and, despite himself, had been grossly fascinated. He had gone to "clean up" many more sites after that, but really he was just watching what the Death Eaters could do. Wonderful things. Terrible, but wonderful.

_Be careful little feet where you go  
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow_

He had followed them everywhere. He knew that others followed _him, _to see where _he _was going, and that that led to deaths, but he couldn't seem to stop himself.

_It's a slow fade when you give yourself away_

When he had the Dark mark branded on his arm, he hadn't realized that he had just sold himself to something evil. He simply thought that the Dark Lord could give him power, power that he so desperately wanted. Power that would make others finally look up to him, grovel before him.

_It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to grey_

Suddenly nothing was clear any more. He used to think there was good and evil, right and wrong. But the Dark Lord had taught him that there was only power, and those brave enough to step forward and seize it.

_Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid  
When you give yourself away_

And suddenly he was realizing things he had never noticed before. Thing that had once been considered useless were now very important to the cause. He had chosen this side. It was his life now. If there was to be a punishment, so be it.

_People never crumble in a day  
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade_

Of course, he hadn't ever thought he would do something like this. But one thing had led to another, and then...

_Be careful little ears what you hear  
When flattery leads to compromise the end is always near_

The Dark Lord himself had told him that he, Peter Pettigrew was the only one who could do the job. And so he had gone into the Potter household, and offered to be their Secret Keeper. Black had unwittingly helped him, the fool that he was.

_Be careful little lips what you say  
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray_

And so he had made the promise of secrecy, cast the charm. Convinced them they were safe. And then he told his true master, the Dark Lord. A few nights later, on Halloween...

_It's a slow fade when you give yourself away_

But, amazingly, he heard that the Dark Lord had been destroyed as well, that only the Potters' baby, Harry, was alive.

_It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to grey_

Why hadn't it worked? The plan had been so well thought out. Go in, kill them, continue to rise to power until the world was perfect. It was so confusing...

_Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid_

And suddenly he realized that he had been wrong. Even if the Dark Lord did rise to power, he, Peter, would never be respected. When Black came after him, he still chose to play it safe. Or, as safe as he could get. He killed thirteen "innocent" people and sent one "innocent man to Azkaban. But he knew now that no one was innocent. But the price had already been paid. He, at least, was safe, living with a wizard family.

_When you give yourself away  
People never crumble in a day_

He had never really wanted it... but he still couldn't stop. He watched the papers eagerly, waiting for a sign of his return, of either of their returns. But there was nothing.

_The journey from your mind to your hands  
Is shorter than you're thinking_

He remembered how, when the Dark lord _did _come back to power, thirteen years later, he had thought he do those things. But he never really thought he could make himself do it. Mutilate his own body. Steal a man's bones from his grave. Take the blood of a fourteen-year-old boy.

_Be careful if you think you stand  
You just might be sinking_

Of course his standing was higher after that. He was given and amazingly strong silver hand. A few of the others looked up to him for being the one who brought him back. But he knew in his heart that it wouldn't last. Others hated him for more reasons than one, and would gladly have killed him, had not the Dark Lord's favor kept him alive.

_It's a slow fade when you give yourself away  
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to grey  
Thoughts invade , choices are made, a price will be paid  
When you give yourself away  
People never crumble in a day  
Daddies never crumble in a day  
Families never crumble in a day_

_Oh, be careful little eyes what you see  
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see  
For the Father up above is looking down in love  
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see_


End file.
